His little secret
by sofia313
Summary: After leaving Mystic Falls, Kol decides to spy on his boring big brother. He doesn't expect to see anything interesting but this time he's wrong…
1. Chapter 1

Seattle

It was a cold and rainy day. People were carrying umbrellas and wrapping their jackets or scarves tighter around them. The freezing wind would have made anyone shiver. Anyone who wasn't dead. It didn't bother Kol one bit. He looked at his brother who was in a coffee shop reading a newspaper and having a cup of tea. He had to admit that Elijah's posture really was admirable. He was sitting up his back straight like a statue.

So far he had dropped in few stores and a barber's shop before heading into the coffee shop for his afternoon tea. If there would be the most boring person in the world competition, Kol was pretty sure that Elijah had excellent chances of winning the title. But then again, he was the one who had decided to follow him. Kol snorted. That had been such a great idea. He was actually heading to Canada but when he had heard that Elijah was on his way to Seattle, he had thought that it would be fun to see what his big brother was up to.

They had both left from Mystic Falls a week ago but had gone to their separate ways. At this point Kol figured that he should just give up and move along. His guess was that Elijah would check into some nice classy hotel, maybe take a bubble bath and watch some TV before going to sleep. His big brother was seriously even more boring than he had thought.

Elijah had just finished his paper. He placed it neatly onto the table, leaving the waitress a generous tip. Then he held the door open for an elderly woman before heading out. Kol rolled his eyes. What next, was he going to buy some Girl Scout cookies or rescue orphans from a burning building? Elijah walked calmly to his car and unlocked the doors. Kol tried to decide what to do. Maybe he has had enough thrills for a one day. Or maybe not. No, he would see this through. It wasn't like he was in a hurry.

Kol started his own car and followed his brother. It seemed that he wasn't heading to the downtown. After a moment Kol realized that Elijah was driving out of city. Where was he heading then? It took over an hour drive before he figured it out. Some pitiful backwater near the coast. What was Elijah doing here? This was finally starting to get interesting.

Kol kept his distance when Elijah stopped his car on a small sand road. There was woods all around it. Elijah stepped out of his car biting his lower lip. If Kol wouldn't have known better, he would have thought that his brother looked a little nervous. Interesting indeed. Kol parked his car out of sight and tailed Elijah who was walking towards a small wooden house on the end of the sand road. Why had he left his car so far away?

To Kol's surprise, Elijah didn't go to the door. Instead he stayed behind the trees watching the house. It was getting dark but Kol noticed a small well-kept garden and some laundry hanging on the clothesline. Then he noticed someone inside. It was a young woman who had long dark hair. Kol also noticed a very visible scar on her face. Oddly it didn't make her any less beautiful.

Apparently she was listening to some music and singing along. Then she lifted a black cat into her arms and started to dance. She looked happy. Elijah was staring at her closely. He kept staring at her when she moved into the kitchen and started to wash the dishes. She hadn't closed any curtains so it wasn't difficult to look at her. Kol smiled. Well, well, was his respectful big brother a voyeur? How naughty.

After finishing her chores in the kitchen, the girl headed to the bedroom. Then Elijah finally walked to the door and opened it silently. Kol looked at him curiously when he stepped inside. Obviously he had been invited in. The girl was sitting at her dressing table brushing her hair. Apparently she hadn't heard Elijah coming in. Kol saw him moving slowly across the living room, towards the bedroom. He couldn't wait to see where this was going. Suddenly he heard the girl screaming. Elijah had just grabbed her from behind.

"It's me, it's me", Elijah said.

The girl turned to him and slapped his hand.

"You scared me half to death!"

Elijah chuckled.

"Forgive me, my love."

The girl smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

"I forgive you. I'm just so happy that you're home."

Elijah caressed her cheek and kissed her.

"Me too. The only place where I want to be is here with my beautiful wife."

Then he looked at the window and closed the curtains. Kol tried to understand what he had just seen. And heard. It took a moment before those words sank in. It seemed that his boring brother did have his own little secrets. Who would have known…

* * *

**Ok, this was a request but I'm not sure if I should continue it. Maybe it'll be a one-shot. Please let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for all of you lovely readers :) Since you wanted this to be a story, here's chapter 2.**

**Chapter 2**

3 years earlier…

_Elijah looked at his pathetic excuse for a car. He was very annoyed. Since humans were supposed to be so evolved in this day and age, why the hell couldn't they invent a form of transportation that didn't break down in the middle of nowhere? He wasn't familiar with these things; he only knew how to drive one. _

_Unfortunately that meant that he couldn't do much except wait for a tow truck. A fellow called Grease-Ed (seriously?) had promised to be here as soon as possible. Elijah huffed impatiently and pondered should he just sit in the car or stretch his legs. All he could see was the highway and plenty of woods. His current situation didn't please him at all. _

_He was merely passing through this backwater. He had an important meeting in Seattle. Finally a lead that could help him to find that no-good brother of his. He was perfectly aware that his obsession had become at least as bad as Niklaus'. The only difference was that Niklaus wanted to break the damn curse in order to create his precious hybrids when Elijah wanted only one thing. Revenge. _

_Perhaps it wasn't the noblest cause but he couldn't have cared less. That happened when you were forced to spent rest of the eternity alone. No, that wasn't completely true. No one was stopping him from finding someone to spend it with but why bother? As long as Niklaus was alive, that person would never be safe. He would just be handing his brother another weapon to use against him. _

_Elijah pressed his lips together. Sometimes he had trouble to recognize himself anymore. Things that he had done… It would be so easy to just give up and embrace the monster in him. Turn off what was left of his humanity. All his moral and nobility… What good had it ever done for him? He had absolutely no reason to respect humans or anyone else for that matter. He had absolutely no reason to continue this pathetic… _

_Before he managed to finish his thought, the sound of an engine made him to look up. A small bright yellow car stopped on the side of the road. A young woman who stepped out was wearing a pair of worn-out jeans, a purple cardigan and fluffy boots. She had plaited her long black hair. Surprisingly the first thing that stood out of her face was her dark brown eyes, although she had a long scar on her right cheek._

_"Hi there", she said. "You need some help?"_

_"The tow truck should be here in any minute", Elijah replied._

_The woman smiled._

_"Yeah, if you mean Ed, that might take a while. May I?"_

_Elijah raised an eyebrow. What was she talking about?_

_"Excuse me?"_

_"I know a little something about cars so do you mind if I take a look?"_

_"Be my guest", Elijah replied although he wasn't convinced about her knowledge. She smiled at him and opened the hood. Elijah only saw her legs and some smoke._

_"Are you sure that you know…"_

_"Yeah, I know", she interrupted him._

_Elijah almost snorted. How could a petite little thing like her possibly…_

_"Found it", she said. "The problem seems to be the radiator. The bad news is that I can't fix it."_

_Her head appeared from under the hood._

_"But what I can do is give you a ride to Frankie's. It's a nice place; you definitely have to try their apple pie."_

_Elijah looked at her. Apple pie? Was she serious?_

_"I can't leave, the man told me…"_

_"Hold on a sec", she said and picked up a cell phone from her pocket. She was dialing numbers before Elijah managed to say anything._

_"Hi Ed", she started. "I'm with Mr.…" She paused and looked at Elijah. "I'm sorry, what's your name?"_

_"Smith. Elijah Smith."_

_He had no idea what was going on._

_"With Mr. Smith", she continued. "Would it be wrong of me to assume that you won't be picking up his car within an hour or two? Right… Uh huh… How about I take Mr. Smith to Frankie's, I think it would be more comfortable for him to wait there. Do you have his cell number? Great, give him a call then. Thanks Ed."_

_Elijah stared at her when she hung up. She gave him a sweet smile._

_"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be too pushy. If you want to wait here…"_

_"Actually, I would like to accept your offer, miss…"_

_"Tessa", she said smiling and hold out her hand. Elijah didn't usually like to shake hands with humans but this time he was willing to make an exception. He took her hand and heard the blood rushing through her body. Her hand felt soft and warm. There was so much life in her. He wanted to have a taste. Not much, just a little taste…._

_"Mr. Smith?"_

_He had to force himself to focus. She was looking at him expectantly. He was still holding her hand._

_"Forgive me, Miss Tessa", he mumbled. "It seems that I'm a bit abstracted today."_

_"We should get you some coffee then", she replied smiling. "Come on."_

* * *

"How was your trip?" Tessa asked.

"Same old, same old. You know how it is.", Elijah replied stroking his wife's hair. He loved to feel her warm body next to his. She was so beautiful. She was wearing a t-shirt, as always. Even after all this time, she didn't want him to see her upper body. She was convinced that her scars would repulse him. He leaned closer and kissed her neck. She was biting her lip.

"Actually I don't, Elijah, but we don't have to talk about your work. You deserve to rest when you're home."

"Thank you, my love. But you know I don't like to talk about my work because I don't want to bore you. Just numbers and calculations."

"Hmm. I wish you would have called, I would have made you some dinner…"

Elijah rolled her on her back and kissed her.

"I didn't mind skipping straight to my dessert."

She giggled.

"Yes, it seemed that you were very glad to see me."

He caressed her lips with his index finger.

"Always."

She smiled and snuggled up against him.

"Oh, I almost forgot, the Finchers invited us for a dinner."

"Who are the Finchers?" Elijah asked.

Tessa looked at him smiling innocently.

"Surely you remember, sweetie. Mr. Fincher didn't talk about anything except hunting and Mrs. Fincher tried to hit on you after her third class of wine."

Unfortunately Elijah remembered that.

"You didn't do much to help", he stated.

Tessa laughed.

"I had a great time. Especially when she told you that she's not wearing any underwear."

Elijah rolled his eyes.

"Very amusing. I don't think that I want a rerun."

"I understand. I'll think of some excuse."

Tessa was quiet for a while.

"You don't like to spend time with people, do you?"

"I like to spend time with you", Elijah replied. "You are the only person in this world I can call mine. I never want that to change."

Tessa smiled.

"Me neither. Till death do us part."

Elijah didn't say anything. He had tried his best to dodge this subject. But he knew that he would eventually have to tell her the truth about him. She deserved to know everything. Eventually but not tonight. Elijah closed his eyes and held her tightly. He just wanted to keep her. But how could she ever want to be with him if she would knew what he was?

* * *

**Any thoughts? Things won't get easier for Elijah now than Kol knows his secret.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Tessa Smith considered herself as a lucky woman. Three years ago she had prepared to spend her life alone and she had been ok with it. She has had her friends, her job and a small place to call her own. She loved that little house. Tessa had always been an outgoing and optimistic person, even if she was very self-conscious about her scars. She hadn't thought that she could ever let anyone too close to her.

But then this man had appeared. Tessa had seen something familiar about him. A person who was carrying some huge burden. He had been polite but also very reserved. Tessa had felt that she was drawn to him. There had been some mysterious force in his deep brown eyes. But she could have never imagined that he would show any interest towards her. A man like him could have anyone he wanted.

And yet, here she was, lying on the bed next to him. She couldn't have asked for a better husband. He was kind and thoughtful and she never had to be afraid of him. Tessa couldn't imagine that Elijah could ever hurt anyone. She wasn't a fool so she knew that he had secrets but so did she. Tessa thought that he had every right to keep his secrets. She wasn't going to pressure him. Elijah smiled when she caressed his cheek.

"Good morning", Tessa said and kissed him.

He opened his eyes and rolled her on her back.

"You know what would make this morning perfect?"

Tessa giggled.

"I can imagine."

Elijah looked at her like some kind of riddle he was trying to solve. It seemed like he would have tried to memorize every little detail about her face. He touched her chin and ran his thumb over her moist lips. Then he leaned towards her and tasted her lips. Tessa touched his neck and kissed him back with the same urgency.

She smiled at him and turned them around so she was on top of him. He was only wearing his boxers so she had an access to his muscular chest. She traced kisses down his neck. He groaned and grabbed her hair. It looked like he was really trying to control himself, like he would be afraid that he would break her. Tessa had told him many times that she wasn't some delicate porcelain doll. He didn't have to hold back. He grabbed her hips and turned them around. He liked to be in control. She was about to help him to remove her panties when she felt his hands under her t-shirt.

"Elijah…" she mumbled. "Sweetie, no."

He continued kissing her neck.

"We've been married for almost a year", he said. "You can trust me."

Tessa bit her lip.

"I do trust you but…I can't, I'm sorry."

Elijah raised his head and touched her cheek.

"You are beautiful, my love. Nothing is going to make me think otherwise."

Tessa didn't know what to say. She wanted to trust him but she couldn't bear the thought of seeing the disgust in his eyes. She had carried her shame since she had been 15. Almost 9 years.

"Trust me", Elijah said reassuringly and kissed her before lifting her t-shirt.

Tessa wanted to stop him but she couldn't. She let him to take it off. She had never felt so exposed in her life. She couldn't look at him. She flinched when he gently touched the scars under her breasts. There was only one word carved in her flesh. Whore. He had heated his knife with a lighter just to leave her permanent scars. Tessa was praying that Elijah would say something. He lifted her chin and kissed her.

"You are beautiful", he said gently and paused. "You said that the man who did this to you is in jail. Which jail?"

Tessa looked at him. She couldn't understand what she was seeing. His eyes were full of dark rage. She caressed his cheek calmingly.

"Let's not talk about him, my love. It's all in the past. I'm happy now with you."

His eyes softened.

"I'm happy too. Now, where were we?"

"I didn't spoil your mood?" Tessa asked cautiously.

Elijah smiled.

"That's impossible. I want you my sweet Tessa. Every part of you."

She felt happier than ever before. This man was like an angel. Her very own angel. She couldn't believe how lucky she was.

* * *

"Don't forget the milk", Tessa said when Elijah opened the front door.

"I won't", he replied smiling. "I'll be right back."

Tessa wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

"You better."

He looked at her warmly before he turned around and headed to his car. Tessa closed the door and went to the kitchen. She was in the middle of making lunch. She enjoyed cooking for someone besides just herself for a change. Elijah had to travel a lot because of his work so she was often by herself. She was happy that he was home now.

And she felt closer to him than ever before. She had finally been able to let him see her completely naked. That had been a big step for her. And he had been wonderful. Tessa smiled when she chopped some vegetables. She wanted to spoil her husband. She startled when she heard a knock from the door. Who could that be? Tessa dried her hands before she headed to the door and opened it. She saw a young man who had dark hair and dark eyes. He was smiling charmingly.

"Hello", he said with a British accent. "I'm looking for Elijah."

Tessa was surprised. Elijah had never had any guests before. If she had understood correctly, he was kind of a loner.

"I'm sorry, he's not home right now but you are welcome to come in and wait for him. He should be back soon."

He looked amused.

"Thank you, ma'am. How kind of you to invite me into your home."

Tessa tried to smile but there was something about this man that made her nervous.

"I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name."

"Kol Mikaelson, at your service", he said dramatically and kissed her hand.

"Hi, I'm Tessa, Elijah's wife. Are you a colleague of his?"

The man smiled.

"No ma'am. I'm his brother."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Cream or sugar?" Tessa asked when she placed a cup of coffee in front of her guest.

"No thank you", he replied smiling. "And may I just say that these cupcakes are delicious."

"Thank you."

Tessa realized that she couldn't avoid sitting down any longer. It would have been rude. This man was after all her brother-in-law. That sounded very strange. She had tried to gather her thoughts while making coffee but she had no idea what to think. Tessa sat down opposite him and tried her best to look polite.

"I apologize for showing up like this but I wanted to surprise my brother", Kol said cheerfully.

"Yes, I…It's nice to meet Elijah's family. He hadn't mentioned that he has a brother."

Kol grinned. He didn't look surprised.

"That's our Eli, always so mysterious. And he doesn't have just one brother, there were seven of us."

Tessa's eyes widened.

"Seven? He has six siblings?"

Kol smiled.

"Not anymore. Now there are me, Eli, our brother and our sister. The rest are deceased."

"I'm sorry", Tessa managed to say.

She tried to understand what she had just heard. Elijah had a family he had never mentioned. He had lost three of his siblings. That must have been terrible for him. Tessa tried to think of something to say but she was too confused to speak. Kol on the other hand seemed perfectly relaxed.

"Good coffee", he said taking a sip from his cup. "So, lovely Tessa, how long have you and my brother been married?"

"Almost a year", Tessa mumbled.

"Really? That's fascinating. And I must say that you have a lovely home. I especially like those cute embroideries. "Home is where the heart is". That's just…adorable."

For some reason he seemed very amused. Tessa couldn't help but startle when he leaned towards her.

"But I must ask, what is a sweet little thing such as you doing with a man like my brother?"

Tessa had no idea what to say. Something about this man just made her uncomfortable. He looked at her for a moment and started to laugh.

"I was kidding!"

"Oh. That's…funny."

He smiled and touched her hand.

"Am I making you nervous, love?"

"No, no", Tessa said quickly. "I'm just a little surprised. That's all."

"Hmm, I can believe that. Elijah likes to keep his little secrets, doesn't he?"

Tessa bit her lip.

"Everyone has the right to keep their own secrets."

Kol raised an eyebrow.

"Really? So, what secrets are you keeping then lovely Tessa?"

"If I would tell you, they wouldn't be secrets", she stated trying to keep her tone light.

He chuckled.

"That's true."

His cup seemed to be empty so Tessa tried to remember her manners.

"More coffee?"

He shook his head.

"No thank you."

Tessa tucked some hair behind her ear. She noticed Kol staring at her. For some reason it seemed that he kept looking at her neck, almost like he would have tried to find something. That wasn't weird at all. She cleared her throat.

"So, Kol, may I ask what you do…"

"Brother!" he interrupted her cheerily. "Long time no see."

Tessa turned and saw Elijah standing in the doorway. There was no expression on his face.

"Now where have you been hiding this lovely lady?" Kol continued. "We just had a great chat."

"I would like to have a word with you", Elijah stated coldly. "Outside."

"Of course!" Kol replied and stood up. "Thank you so much for the coffee, lovely Tessa."

"Sure", Tessa said and looked at her husband.

He gave her a calming smile.

"I'll be right back."

Tessa nodded. She could see how tense Elijah was. Maybe he didn't get along with his brother. Clearly he wasn't happy to see him.

* * *

Kol smirked and clapped his hands when they got outside.

"I'm truly impressed, big brother", he said cheerfully. "And I though I'm wicked. But this…bravo!"

"What are you doing here?" Elijah asked angrily.

Kol's smirk grew wider.

"I want in."

Elijah stared at him.

"What?"

"Seriously, this is much better than any game I've played. Like some kind of ultimate role-play. I love that! So tell me, how did you choose her? Have you used any compulsion or do you prefer a challenge…"

"You have no idea what you are talking about", Elijah interrupted him icily.

Kol looked at him curiously.

"Come on, fill me in. What's the goal, make her love you and feel safe with you before the finale? Am I right?"

"No, you're not", Elijah snapped. "And I want you to leave right now."

"Oh come on, don't be so selfish. I want to play with her too…"

Elijah grabbed Kol and shoved him against a car.

"Now you listen to me very carefully", Elijah growled revealing his fangs. "If you ever touch her I will make you wish that you would still be in that coffin. Is that clear?"

Kol was stunned. For a moment he couldn't do anything but stare at his brother.

"You can't be serious…"

"Don't test me. She's mine and you'll stay away from her."

Kol smiled.

"Oh, I get it, you don't like sharing. That's ok, brother, I understand. I can just find my own toy. But tell me, how long it took for you to get her to marry you? I bet I can do better…"

"Goodbye Kol", Elijah interrupted him coldly.

Kol rolled his eyes.

"Fine. But for the record, I never thought you would be so selfish."

Elijah crossed his arms and looked at him tensely. Kol snorted before heading to his car. He really couldn't understand his brother. Why didn't he want to share the fun? It didn't even occur to him that Elijah could have any genuine feelings towards this human woman. It was so cute how naïve she was. A little house, a garden and a wife who baked cupcakes… Oh please! Kol had already decided that he would participate in this game, whether Elijah liked it or not. And he had a feeling that this would be a lot of fun.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

3 years earlier…

_Th-thump, th-thump, th-thump… Elijah couldn't concentrate on anything expect the sound of this woman's heartbeat. She was sitting opposite him in the diner called Frankie's. Why had he insisted of buying her a cup of coffee as a thank you for her help? He was fantasizing about throwing her onto the table and sinking his fangs into her pretty little neck. What the hell was wrong with him? _

_It had been centuries since he had craved someone's blood so badly. He rarely drank it straight from the source these days. He liked to think that it was because he wasn't some savage like his brother but the truth was that it simply didn't matter to him. He had to feed in order to stay strong but it didn't really give him any satisfaction. It was just a necessary evil. But now… He wanted to taste her. No, he needed to taste her. Wait, had she been talking this whole time? He had no idea what she had said._

_"So, what do you think, Mr. Smith?" she asked smiling._

_Elijah cleared his throat._

_"Please, call me Elijah. I'm sorry, what do I think about what?"_

_She looked amused._

_"I really am boring, aren't I?"_

_"No, no", Elijah said quickly. "Forgive me; this has been a long day."_

_"That's ok, I understand."_

_She smiled at the young waitress who placed a cup of coffee in front of her._

_"Thanks, Quinn. Are we still on for tonight?"_

_"Definitely. I need all the help I can get for my finals so I can finally get out of this backwater."_

_Elijah took a quick look of the waitress. She was maybe 17 or 18 and she had a long dark brown hair and bright green eyes._

_"Thank you", he said when she placed the other cup in front of him._

_She looked at him curiously._

_"Are you a friend of Tessa's?"_

_"We actually just met", Tessa said before Elijah managed to reply. "His car broke down."_

_"Oh. Well, I'm sure Ed can fix it. I'm Quinn."_

_"Elijah."_

_He wasn't going to shake her hand and thankfully she didn't seem to expect that._

_"Do you guys want anything else?"_

_Tessa shook her head._

_"I should be going soon…"_

_"Pie", Elijah interrupted her. He had no idea what he was doing but he couldn't let her leave. "If I remember correctly, you recommended the apple pie."_

_Tessa looked surprised._

_"Yes, but you really don't have to…"_

_"I insist. We'll take two slices of that pie."_

_Quinn looked at him and Tessa alternately._

_"Sure. Coming right up."_

_Tessa took a sip from her cup and smiled._

_"Thank you, this is very kind of you."_

_"The pleasure is all mine, believe me", Elijah replied._

_He had decided that tonight he would allow himself to follow his urges. She was just one human. That didn't make him a monster. At least that was what he kept telling to himself._

* * *

_I used to think maybe you loved me now baby I'm sure  
And I just cant wait till the day when you knock on my door  
Now everytime I go for the mailbox , gotta hold myself down  
Cos I just wait till you write me your coming around _

"I'm walking on sunshine , wooah, I'm walking on sunshine, woooah, I'm walking on sunshine, woooah and don't it feel good!"

Quinn loved to run. Just her, the road and her headphones. And she could sing along without disturbing anyone with her dreadful singing voice. This was a great song, although she hadn't even seen the sun today. Another cloudy Saturday. But at least wasn't raining. Her new running shoes were perfect. A birthday gift from Tessa. Quinn often dropped by in her house when she was jogging.

She reached the sand road that lead to Tessa's house and saw a car coming from there. She didn't recognize the car or the driver. It was a young man. Well, this was interesting. She couldn't wait to hear who Tessa's mysterious guest was. Then she noticed Elijah's car. Quinn rolled her eyes. Great, Mr. Smiley was home.

Quinn didn't really have anything against him, he was good to Tessa, but he was always so serious. And she had a feeling that he wasn't too thrilled about her visits. Fortunately he traveled a lot. Tessa was her friend and she had every right to spend time with her. Too bad if Elijah had a problem with that.

Quinn sighed. She had to remember to be nice. Tessa loved this guy and it seemed that he was crazy about her. Sometimes he even was overprotective. Like Tessa couldn't take care of herself. She was one of the strongest women Quinn had ever met. She deserved a man who respected her. Quinn stretched her arms and legs before knocking the door. It opened almost immediately and she saw Elijah's emotionless face. He seemed even tenser than usually. Quinn placed a smile on her face.

"Hi Elijah. Is Tessa home?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid this a little bad time. We are in the middle of something", he replied.

"Right, I see", Quinn mumbled trying to hide her annoyance. "Could I at least…"

"It's nice that you dropped by, Quinn, but this really isn't a good time. I'm sure Tessa will call you later."

He closed the door before she managed to say anything. He sure as hell knew how to make her feel welcome. Jerk. For a moment Quinn considered about giving him a piece of her mind but she didn't want to hurt Tessa. What did she see in that guy? Sure he was good-looking and apparently he had money but still. He was way too gloomy for her liking.

Quinn didn't want to admit it but she also was a bit jealous. She had got used to being the most important person in Tessa's life before Elijah showed up. Of course she wanted Tessa to be happy but why it had to be with someone who was so…possessive. If it would be up to Elijah, Tessa would probably never spend time with anyone except him.

Quinn gritted her teeth and headed back to the road. She put her headphones back on and concentrated on the music and running. She needed to blow off some steam after the meeting with Elijah. She didn't notice a car that was coming behind her before it passed her and stopped on the side of the road. It was the same car that she had seen coming from Tessa's house. She stopped next to it when the driver rolled the window open. He was smiling charmingly.

"Excuse me, miss but I'm afraid I'm lost. Could you be so kind and help me?"

* * *

**Thank you so much for all of your feedback :) What do you guys think about the flashbacks, I was thinking that it would be good to write about how Elijah's and Tessa's relationship started.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm sorry that I haven't updated earlier, I haven't forgotten this story :) Thank you all of you lovely readers for letting me know that you want me to continue.**

**Chapter 6**

_3 years earlier…_

_"Thank you for the coffee and the pie but I really have to go now", Tessa said. "I'm sure your car will be ready soon…"_

_"Do you live alone?" Elijah asked using compulsion. He didn't want to draw any attention so this was the easiest and quickest way to get what he so desperately craved. He wasn't planning to cause this human woman any unnecessary pain, he simply wanted her blood. Playing with his food had never appealed to him. That was more something that Niklaus liked to do. And Kol. No, he couldn't think about his little brother right now, that would be way too painful. It wouldn't be a good idea to think about Niklaus either; he might have an urge to rip something, or someone, into pieces._

_"Yes", she replied automatically._

_"Good. Where do you live?"_

_He noticed the confusion in her eyes but she still answered without hesitation._

_"I have a small house that I inherited from my grandmother."_

_He nodded._

_"Alright, here's what is going to happen now; you will go to your car and wait for me there. There is no need to be afraid, everything is alright. Do you understand?"_

_"Yes, I understand."_

_"Good, go and wait for me then."_

_She stood up and walked out without saying a word. He waited a moment before following her but no one seemed to be paying any attention to him. That waitress, who apparently was his human's friend, was talking with some elderly woman. Tessa was sitting on the driver's seat of her small yellow car, just like he had told her to. He opened the door and sat next to her._

_"Now we will go to your house", he said calmly._

_She nodded and started the car._

_"Why do you want to go to my house?" she asked, although she didn't sound worried. Of course she didn't, he had told her not to be afraid._

_"You have something that I want", he replied._

_"Oh. What's that?"_

_For a moment he thought about lying to her but for some reason he didn't feel like doing that._

_"Your blood."_

_Her eyes widened and she turned to look at him._

_"My blood? Are you…are you going to kill me?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Why?"_

_She still didn't sound scared, only confused._

_"It's nothing personal, I can assure you. I simply need to taste your blood."_

_"Taste it? Are you a vampire or something?"_

_"Yes", he replied calmly. "I am a vampire."_

_"Oh", she muttered. "That's…strange. Do you really have to kill me; could you just…not drain me?"_

_Despite of the situation, Elijah couldn't help but smile. This was definitely the strangest conversation he had ever had. He couldn't help but wonder how she would react if he wouldn't have taken her fear away._

_"Killing you won't give me any pleasure", he said, although he was aware that wasn't much of consolation._

_"Don't do it then. Please."_

_"I'm sorry, miss Tessa."_

_She was biting her lips when they reached a small sand road. Elijah noticed a cozy looking wooden house or perhaps it was more like a cottage. He opened the car door and held out his hand for her._

_"Please…"_

_"We will go to the door now and you will invite me in", he interrupted her firmly._

_She looked at him pleadingly but she had no choice but to obey. Why did she have to look at him like that? It was too late to back down now. Well, actually it wasn't, but he didn't want to back down. She was just one human. Just one. He had his needs just like everyone else for heavens sake! Why should he always deny from himself everything what he wanted?_

_"Come in", she said quietly._

_Full of anticipation he entered her house. She was looking at him intensively, clearly trying to clear her thoughts. He stepped in front of her and touched her chin very gently._

_"It won't hurt, I promise you."_

_Her body tensed, not with fear, with anger._

_"I suppose you expect me to thank you", she muttered._

_"I don't. Nor I expect you to understand but I can make this easier for you if you like."_

_She shook her head._

_"No. I don't know what you have done to me but I don't want you to tamper with my mind any more. I think I'm entitled for a last request."_

_What a strange human she was, different than anyone he had met before._

_"Alright, Miss Tessa, I won't tamper with your mind again, you have my word."_

_That was an easy promise to give. Certainly not unreasonable last request._

* * *

Tessa washed her face trying to gather her thoughts. The unexpected visit of Elijah's brother, who she had never even knew existed, had left her very confused. Why hadn't he told her about his family? Tessa was so distracted with her thoughts that she barely heard the knocking from the front door. She was sure that Elijah could open the door; she needed a moment before facing her husband. Finally she took a deep breath before stepping out of the bathroom. Elijah was in the living room, standing rigidly next to the couch.

"Who was at the door?" Tessa asked.

Elijah frowned, like he had already forgotten the whole thing.

"Quinn. I told her that you will call her later."

"Oh."

They were both quiet for a moment before Tessa stepped in front of him and touched his cheek.

"Why haven't you told me?" she asked gently.

Elijah was biting his lower lip.

"It's…complicated. My family…they can be…difficult."

Tessa nodded.

"I saw how tense you were when you saw your brother. Do you have some kind of quarrel with him?"

"No, not exactly but we are…very different."

Somehow Tessa understood what he meant, she had felt very nervous while talking with his brother, although he had been nothing but polite. Maybe it had been some kind if instinct, she wasn't sure, but there had definitely been something scary about her brother-in-law.

"Is he some kind of criminal?" Tessa asked without really thinking about it.

Elijah looked surprised.

"What, why do you ask? Did he do something…"

"No, no", she interrupted him. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to offend your brother. There was just something…strange about him."

Elijah pressed his lips together.

"You are right, he can be…unpredictable so I don't want you in any circumstances to be alone with him again."

Tessa couldn't help but shiver.

"Is he dangerous?"

Elijah looked distressed when he cupped her face.

"He can be but I'm not going to let him…"

Something about his tone really alarmed her; she had never seen him so worried.

"Elijah please, you're scaring me. Please tell me what is going on."

He seemed even more distressed when he looked into her eyes.

"I'm so sorry", he muttered.

She was confused.

"About what? Elijah…"

"Everything is alright", he said softly, his pupils dilating.

For some reason Tessa suddenly felt perfectly calm, although she couldn't understand how was that possible.

"You are safe with me", he continued with the same hypnotizing tone.

She smiled and repeated his words back at him.

"I'm safe with you."

His fingers caressed her cheek.

"I love you and I will always protect you, there's no need to talk about this any more."

Everything that he said made perfect sense so she nodded.

"Yes, you're right; we don't need to talk about this."

His body twitched, like her words would have burn him.

"My Tessa", he muttered and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Please forgive me…"

She couldn't understand why he was so upset but she couldn't bear to see him like that.

"It's ok, my love, I'm here", she said stroking his back. He tightened his embrace, burying his face in her hair.

"You are mine, my humanity…I won't lose you."

Her mind couldn't really understand his words but that didn't bother her. Everything was alright, just like he had said.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated earlier, I've been very busy, but I promise to update more often for now on, I'm already writing the next chapter. DGfleetfox asked would Elijah really use compulsion on his wife, I know that's probably ooc, but he's really afraid of losing her. And if you wonder what happened to Kol, he's going to be in the next chapter, this one is mostly flashback.**

**Chapter 7**

_3 years earlier…_

_Elijah looked around in Tessa's nice little house. The living room was small but cozy; there was a fireplace, a floral couch, a matching armchair and an ottoman, a little coffee table, a colorful rug, a bookshelf full of books and porcelain angels, apparently she collected them. There were candles, fresh flowers on the coffee table, fluffy pillows on the couch, framed pictures above the fireplace, embroideries on the wall, everything was just… What, he wasn't really sure. He could easily picture her sitting in front of the fireplace reading some book… Wait, what was he doing? He was going to end this woman's life; it certainly wouldn't be smart to get to know her. She was standing next to the couch with her arms crossed._

_"Do you want some tea?" she suddenly asked._

_That surprised him completely._

_"Tea?"_

_She shrugged._

_"Why not, I would like to have a cup before…"_

_She didn't finish her sentence._

_"Yes, of course," he replied and followed her to the kitchen. It was as nice as the living room, the small kitchen table was round and there was a checkered tablecloth on it. The curtains were yellow floral and there were old looking porcelain dish on a small shelf. Elijah sat at the table when Tessa started to make the tea._

_"So, have you been a vampire for a long time?" she asked._

_"Over a millennium," he replied._

_Her hands stopped working and she turned to look at him._

_"Really? That's…a very long time."_

_"Yes, it certainly is."_

_She turned back to her teakettle and took something from a cupboard._

_"Do you often spend time with your victims before you kill them?"_

_Her words made Elijah to feel a nasty sting._

_"No. To be honest, I've never done something like this before."_

_"Oh, so I'm your first? I'm flattered."_

_Elijah bit his bottom lip._

_"Look, I don't…"_

_He didn't have time to finish his sentence when she suddenly turned and threw the boiling water on him. Despite of being as old as he was, that still hurt. She ran towards the front door as fast as she could, but he had no trouble catching her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, keeping her in place._

_"Let me go!" she shouted, struggling as hard as she could. "Let me go!"_

_The adrenaline made her heart to beat faster, heightening the scent of her blood. Elijah closed his eyes and snuggled his face in her silky black hair. He couldn't help it, her scent was too inviting. She stopped struggling and held still. After a moment he turned her around and touched her face. She flinched and kept her eyes on the floor._

_"Please make it quick," she murmured._

_What was he doing? This wasn't him, even if he had lately felt like a monster. If he would do this, he would definitely lose all what was left of his humanity, he would be no better than Niklaus._

_"Forgive me," he said quietly._

_She looked up, ready to face her death._

_"I never should have… I'm not a monster."_

_There was confusion in her dark eyes; clearly she tried understand what he was saying._

_"I won't kill you, but I must ask your permission to break my word."_

_Her eyes widened._

_"What?"_

_"I gave you my word for not tampering with your mind, but I can't let you to remember this. Will you allow me to erase the last hour from your mind?"_

_She hesitated, confused by this sudden turn of events. Despite of the situation, Elijah couldn't help but enjoy the sight of her; she truly had unique features. The scar didn't bother him one bit, it made her look strong. First she was suspicious, like she would have thought that he playing some kind of cruel game, then she considered the possibility that he was actually serious. Finally she reached the conclusion that she had nothing to lose. Her whole thinking process only lasted seconds, but she was easy to read, like an open book._

_"What if I don't give you my permission?" she asked, trying to sound calm._

_"Then we might have a problem. I'm a man of my word, Miss Tessa."_

_"So, what you are saying is that you would rather kill me than break your word?"_

_Elijah thought about it for a moment._

_"I would rather not make that decision, so I would appreciate if you could give me your permission."_

_She looked at him determinedly._

_"If I do, I want your word that you won't do anything else, only erase the last hour."_

_He couldn't help but smile, not many people would have make demands in a situation like this._

_"Are your memories so important to you?"_

_"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "I need to remember….some things."_

_He nodded._

_"I won't touch your other memories, you have my word."_

_"In that case, you have my permission. What…what do you need me to do?" she asked cautiously._

_He smiled and tucked a stray hair behind her ear._

_"Nothing."_

_But there was something he wanted to do, no matter how ungentlemanly it would be. Oh hell… He cupped her face and kissed her. She was stunned, but she didn't try to push him away. Her lips tasted sweet, he pulled her as close as possible, wanting to devour her. Apparently it wasn't only her blood what he craved… Control yourself. He forced himself to pull away, facing her stunned expression._

_"I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" he muttered. He definitely needed to get out before he would do something irreversible. She didn't say anything when he made an eye contact and was about to erase all her memories involving him. For some reason he hesitated, he didn't want to erase all of them. Without really knowing why, he let her remember everything what had happened before they had left from the diner. He was gone before she blinked, but he didn't leave right away. For a moment he observed her house from the woods. In order to make sure that she was alright, that was what he kept telling to himself. He had almost made a terrible mistake, how could have he even considered… His phone started to ring before he managed to properly form his thought._

_"Hi, it's Ed; I'm calling about your car…"_

_Elijah had forgotten the whole thing, but he was glad about this distraction. He definitely needed to leave now._

* * *

Elijah looked at his wife who was sleeping peacefully. At the moment he truly hated himself, he certainly didn't deserve her. But unfortunately he was too selfish to let her go and allow her to find someone better. The whole thought made him angry; he couldn't bare the thought of some other man touching her. She had been his salvation when he had been about to drown, his only safe haven in this world. When he was with her, he felt that he was home. She loved him and trusted him and how had he repaid that trust, by using compulsion in order to avoid an unpleasant conversation. That had to be a whole new level of low.

He should definitely do her a favor and walk away before causing her any more harm. Yes, maybe he could have done that, but now there was a new piece in the puzzle he had to think about, Kol. Elijah knew that Tessa's life was in danger because of his selfishness, there was no way he could leave her unprotected. Kol thought that this was some kind of game and Elijah certainly knew how much he enjoyed playing. The problem was that his brother's games never ended well.


	8. Chapter 8

**If you want to see what I image Quinn to look like, there's a link on my profile page :) Ok, here's the next chapter**

**Chapter 8**

Kol looked around in a small, sleazy house and snorted contemptuously. This place certainly didn't meet his standards, but that was probably a part of this game, there weren't any luxury hotels in this backwater. Besides, if Elijah could do this, so could he.

"Here's your beer," the jogger girl said.

He turned to look at her and smiled.

"Thank you, sweetheart. Come here, sit with me."

The shabby couch made him frown, but that was all a part of the experience, an ultimate role-play.

"I should start making dinner," the girl said. "Clint is going to be home soon…"

"Who's Clint?" Kol interrupted her.

"My brother."

"He lives here?"

"Yes."

Kol pondered this information for a moment. What to do, what to do… Then the though hit him, curving his lips into a smirk. So perfect, this would be a great game. He turned to look at the sweaty girl who was standing next to the couch.

"Listen sweetheart, go and clean yourself up before you start to make dinner. Do you have any nice dresses?"

She looked confused.

"I…I think so."

"Good, wear one. And get rid of that ponytail, I want to see you with your hair down. Is that clear?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

"Wonderful. Off you go."

Poor girl obviously wasn't very smart, but that wasn't a problem, he wasn't looking for intelligent conversations. Let's see, Elijah had a wife and a little house, surely he could do better. Elijah had wasted a lot of time if he hadn't used a compulsion, unfortunately Kol wasn't that patient. He wanted to play right now, although he could have make the jogger girl his within days anyway. She would be useful in many ways since she was a friend of Elijah's wife. He smiled and tasted his beer. It wasn't too bad, although he preferred expensive scotches and champagne. He didn't have to wait for long when the jogger girl returned wearing a short flower print dress. She didn't look too bad with her brown hair down; she would fit her part just fine.

"Come here, sweetie," Kol said tapping his lap.

He saw the confusion in the girl's eyes, but his compulsion forced her to obey. She looked at him cautiously when he placed the beer bottle on the table and raised her wrist to his lips. Her eyes widened with terror when the black veins appeared under his eyes and he sank his fangs into her wrist. Not bad. The girl was shaking when he raised his head and started to lick the wounds.

"Hey, hey," he said smiling kindly when her eyes were filling with tears.

"You…you're a monster."

He kept the smile on his face and touched her chin.

"No, I'm not. I'm your boyfriend and you love me, isn't that right?"

She blinked her eyes and smiled.

"Yes, I love you."

"And I love you too my little…" he paused and frowned. "What's your name?"

"Quinn," she replied smiling.

"Quinn…" he repeated thoughtfully. "I'm not sure if I like that, maybe something more traditional, like Mary or Lucy… No, on second though Quinn is fine. Ok, so this is our house and we live here with our dog Clint."

She looked confused.

"Clint isn't a dog, he's my brother."

"No, he's our dog."

She nodded.

"Yes."

Kol tried his best not to laugh, this would be hilarious.

"Alright, why don't you go and make that dinner. And bring me my slippers."

"Sure, honey."

She stood up and headed upstarts when she suddenly stopped.

"What slippers?"

Kol rolled his eyes.

"I don't know; I heard that on TV."

"I have my bunny slippers, I can bring you those," she suggested.

"That's ok, sweetie, just go and make that dinner."

"Ok, honey."

Kol sighed and picked up his beer. Had Elijah actually played this for a year? Maybe he wasn't doing this right. Or maybe he just needed to be patient; after all, he was just getting started.

* * *

2 days later

Tessa tried to concentrate on her work, but she couldn't shake this strange ominous feeling. She had stared at the screen of her laptop for few minutes now, but she hadn't even managed to get started. She worked at home as a freelance translator; she was specialized in technical manuals. Learning new languages had always been her passion and she enjoyed working at home. She had her cup of blackcurrant tea and the radio was playing soothing classical music. Everything was like it should be; she has had a good night sleep and ate a good breakfast with a very special dessert. Elijah truly was incredible; the last few days had been wonderful.

Yet, she was sure that something was bothering him, but he kept insisting that everything was fine. He seemed to be overly cautious all the time, like he would have expected some kind of accident or something. Why couldn't he tell her what was wrong? Tessa sighed and tried to concentrate on her work again, she had a deadline to worry about. Then again, she was a little ahead of her schedule… Maybe she should take some soup for Quinn, the poor thing had been sick. Yes, that sounded like a good idea. She stood up and headed to the kitchen, it wouldn't take her long to make the soup. She smiled when she felt Elijah's arms wrapping around her from behind.

"Are you taking a break?" he asked and kissed her neck.

"Yes, I think I'm going to visit Quinn. I called her yesterday and she said she has a nasty flu."

"Hmm, are you sure you should go there, you might catch her flu?"

Tessa laughed and leaned back in his embrace.

"I think I manage. Do you want to come too?"

He hesitated a moment before he answered.

"Actually, I need to make a phone call, do you mind if I don't come?"

"Of course not."

She turned around and kissed him.

"Work things?"

"Something like that," he muttered. "You are just going to Quinn's house, right?"

He actually looked worried, something was definitely wrong. Tessa bit her lip and tried to decide what to do; she knew that pressuring him wouldn't help.

"Yes, I won't be long."

He nodded.

"Good. Call me if you are going to town or something, I'll go with you."

"Sure."

Poor Elijah, he looked like he was carrying some huge burden on his shoulders. She would definitely find out what was going on and help him; maybe he was in some kind of danger… No, that was a stupid thought, but something was definitely bothering him. Usually she didn't mind him keeping his secrets, but now she needed to know what was going on in order to help him. How could she make him to open up and confide in her? Maybe Quinn could give her some good tips, if she wasn't too sick for a little chat. It occurred to her that maybe she should call Quinn first, but then again, they didn't usually do that. Clint was probably at work, but if Quinn couldn't open the door, she had her spare key, although their door wasn't usually even locked. Maybe taking care of a sick friend would give her something else to think about for a moment.


End file.
